I was going to write a book entitled "The Second Sleeve: Memoirs of a Knitter." Perhaps it will be a compilation of thoughts found on the internet instead.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

When it rains it pours.

With the completion of my last socks I only had one project on the needles, the Koigu Sweater that I refer to in my head as the Odysseus Sweater (The Odyssey is epic, this is epic, it made sense at the time). Thus in a panic I started a bunch of stuff including a made-up project that may or may not work, and the third installment of some pillows I am making for my brother and his fiancee as a wedding gift.

I made two a few months ago when I was all worried that I wouldn't finish in time. This was when I thought I might make something heirloomy and lacy, then I got more realistic. What newlywed couple honestly wants a useless, though beautiful, lace shawl? So here we are now with a month to go and it is time to finish the last one.

I held off on intarsia for a long time because I thought I wouldn't like it. I was all about the Fair Isle and felt that Fair Isle was by far superior to intarsia and would be the only colorwork technique for me. This is probably because the only intarsia I had really seen was great big stupid cats on the front of great big stupid sweaters. No one should have to wear that and no one should ever make that. Thus it was Fair Isle for me. These pillows though were so pretty and, let's be honest, I didn't have any other brilliant ideas for wedding gifts. Bride a Groom socks, no thank you.

Now I am in love. I love dropping one color and knowing it will be right where I left it, waiting for me when I come back. I love wrapping the new color around the old and most of all I love seeing one block of color and knowing it has two different sides. Intarsia is like playing on a team alone and I might just be addicted.